London
CNN
—
Britain’s competition watchdog is investigating Ticketmaster over concerns the company treated customers unfairly when selling tickets to the upcoming Oasis reunion tour.
The probe presents a fresh headache for Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation, which also faces an antitrust lawsuit in the United States that could force a breakup of the firm, one of the world’s biggest concert promoters.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that it would investigate whether fans were informed that the tickets could be subject to so-called dynamic pricing, where a business adjusts prices based on factors such as demand.
“While the practice is not automatically unlawful, it may breach consumer protection or competition law in certain circumstances,” the CMA said in a statement. The authority will also consider whether people were pressured to buy tickets quickly at a higher price than they understood they would have to pay.
“Consumer law is clear — ticket sales sites must be transparent in their dealings with consumers and give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay,” the CMA added.
The authority said that, depending on the evidence, it could close the investigation, secure undertakings from Ticketmaster to address concerns or take legal action against the company. The CMA will be given the power to levy fines only when the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act comes into force later this year.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said the company was cooperating with the CMA.
Fans trying to buy tickets over the weekend to the British rock band’s 2025 tour complained on social media of inflated prices, long waits and error messages on Ticketmaster’s website.
One individual posted on X that he had waited five hours to buy tickets only to receive a message that read: “Your session has been suspended.”
Fans should be “treated fairly” when buying tickets, CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said in Thursday’s statement. “It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out.”
A Ticketmaster spokesperson told CNN on Saturday that the company does not set ticket prices. According to Ticketmaster’s website, promoters and artists set prices, which can either be fixed or based on demand.
The ticket-buying process for big concerts has often drawn angst from buyers. Ticketmaster faced public scrutiny in November 2022 for its handling of the massively popular Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
It was also caught in controversy after a blunder relating to sales of tickets for a concert to celebrate the ascension of King Charles to the British throne.